The pandemic has taken a toll on the Regina International Airport as flights were down 98.2 per cent in the month of April.
The Regina Airport Authority painted a picture of the impact COVID-19 has had on the Queen City airport during their annual general meeting on Thursday morning as the board plans for a long-term recovery strategy going forward.
Board Chair Sean McEachern said the pandemic resulted in a complete change in terms of operations.
“We have had to make some significant decisions around where we are investing our capital dollars, we’ve seen a significant passenger drop, and this of course creates some challenges in terms of our predictions on future growth,” explained McEachern.
“It’s imposing a lot of challenges around financial viability in terms of our revenue.”
The airport experienced a 4.7 per cent decrease in passengers in 2019, a loss of about $750,000. Total revenue in 2019 was at $28 million, a decrease of 2.7 per cent from 2018.
As the world continues to manage the effects of COVID-19, McEachern expects there will be more difficult decisions to make now and in the future at the airport.
James Bogusz, president and CEO of the authority, said there are still a few flights leaving the YQR airport for essential travel. He warned passengers that they will notice some changes to go along with the public health measures in place.
“We’ve got signage throughout the building encouraging social distancing, you’re going to see some floor markers and some tape just to help remind people what the expectation is around social distancing,” mentioned Bogusz.
“Signage is at all the passenger choke points, so you can’t miss it when you come down to know your obligations.”
Bogusz admitted the airport is facing a financial crisis, but he said the airport authority will do its best to work with the federal government and businesses to secure support moving forward.
He also took the opportunity to thank their staff such as custodians and security for their efforts during the pandemic.
